Polishing an Old CF Exhaust
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Official CBRF Welcome Crew Undercover Agent
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 1,907
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From: Colorado, U.S.A.
Polishing an Old CF Exhaust
So my bike's got an Akrapovic carbon fiber slip-on exhaust on it which, although it sounds great and looks OK, had a drab (not glossy) appearance to it, and the sticker/decal was scratched up.
Went ahead, removed the sticker, and this is what I was left with.
There was a big black spot where the sticker used to be. I e-mailed Akrapovic, and this was their reply:
Wasn't about to pay $150 dollars for a sleeve, so I decided to polish it with automotive wax (ZYMOL). It came out better than expected, and looks damn near new. The white on the bottom is wax.
Now to cover up the black oval, I ordered a new sticker (204mm, standard size)which arrived today.
It's late at night and pretty cold out, so I'm not going to mess with it now (no after picture). There's probably better (more labor)ways to refinish your exhaust, but this is how I did it, and it came out pretty good. The exhaust on my bike was the only real "eye sore" on it, and now that it looks good, the whole bike looks better.
The company I ordered the decals from is http://www.srsigndesign.com/index.html and although I typically wouldn't mention a company, and by no means am I affiliated with them, they did go the extra step with my order. My wife thought the envelope was junk mail, and almost threw it away! Believing it was never shipped, I called, and they shipped another one, free of charge. I did compensate them and returned second item(s).
They were $10 for both, shipping included, and are aluminum backed (like OEM). They also carry a large selection of Honda stickers. FYI - Descent people.
Went ahead, removed the sticker, and this is what I was left with.
There was a big black spot where the sticker used to be. I e-mailed Akrapovic, and this was their reply:
First of all I would like to say thank you for purchasing our system. About how to clean the carbon fiber outer sleeve: Use only soft and dry cloth. Difference in color between area under sticker and other area is because of the heat can not convey away equally thru the sticker like thru the rest of the sleeve. So actually you need to replace the outer sleeve with new one if you would like original new look.
Thank you for your question,
Best regards,
AkrapoviÄ d.d.
R&D department
Thank you for your question,
Best regards,
AkrapoviÄ d.d.
R&D department
Now to cover up the black oval, I ordered a new sticker (204mm, standard size)which arrived today.
It's late at night and pretty cold out, so I'm not going to mess with it now (no after picture). There's probably better (more labor)ways to refinish your exhaust, but this is how I did it, and it came out pretty good. The exhaust on my bike was the only real "eye sore" on it, and now that it looks good, the whole bike looks better.
The company I ordered the decals from is http://www.srsigndesign.com/index.html and although I typically wouldn't mention a company, and by no means am I affiliated with them, they did go the extra step with my order. My wife thought the envelope was junk mail, and almost threw it away! Believing it was never shipped, I called, and they shipped another one, free of charge. I did compensate them and returned second item(s).
They were $10 for both, shipping included, and are aluminum backed (like OEM). They also carry a large selection of Honda stickers. FYI - Descent people.
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 351
Likes: 1
From: Old Hickory, Tennessee
RE: Polishing an Old CF Exhaust
I'm actually quite happy you made this post, Incognito. I have a carbon fiber exhaust myself, and was wondering what I'd do once it dulled down a bit. Thanks a bunch.
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Official CBRF Welcome Crew Undercover Agent
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 1,907
Likes: 1
From: Colorado, U.S.A.
RE: Polishing an Old CF Exhaust
looks good. I sanded my D&D CF down n recleared it
FYI- usingan old sock slung over the can with a back & forth motion was effective. Like polishing a large shoe. You’ll need several as it removes a lot of gunk (oxidation).
Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 6,026
Likes: 2
From: Dalton, GA
RE: Polishing an Old CF Exhaust
ORIGINAL: Incognito
That's what I was going to do originally, and may do eventually, but I experimented with wax, and it’s good enough for now. What kind of finish did you use?
FYI- usingan old sock slung over the can with a back & forth motion was effective. Like polishing a large shoe. You’ll need several as it removes a lot of gunk (oxidation).
looks good. I sanded my D&D CF down n recleared it
FYI- usingan old sock slung over the can with a back & forth motion was effective. Like polishing a large shoe. You’ll need several as it removes a lot of gunk (oxidation).
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